The legend about a fish that only shows up in shallow waters when there is a sense of impending calamity has been stoked by a fisherman’s recent capture.
Soon after a man in the Philippines caught a doomsday fish, Taiwan was rocked by a catastrophic 7.4 magnitude earthquake—thought to be the strongest in 25 years.
The oarfish inhabits waters down to 3,300 feet below the surface, but according to Japanese legend, it emerges in shallow seas during earthquake activity, as reported by Metro News.
The fish was discovered on Kalanggaman Island, almost 900 kilometers south of the Hualien County epicenter, according to the article.
Brenjeng Caayon, discussing the catch, stated that it’s not a coincidence and connected it to the belief that “this is a bad omen.”
“And given that Taiwan was shook by an earthquake just this morning, it might be an omen. Prior until today, I didn’t believe it, but I’m beginning to now. Three fishermen were on board the fishing boat that I owned. The team had never seen the type of fish before, therefore they were unaware of its identity.”
